US Drought Monitor (click here)
The west still has an unresolved drought. The drought in California is nothing short of profound, including evidence such as sinking land due to depletion of aquifers. It takes a lot of rain and snow to resolve that drought.
March 8, 2016
By Paul Rogers
This weekend's soaking rains (click here) delivered just what drought-weary Northern
California needed: billions of gallons of water pouring into the state's
major reservoirs -- and more predicted for later this week.
There is some objection to allowing water to be purged from the California reservoirs for SAFETY REASONS. Just because California is BEGINNING to recover from a long lived drought, doesn't mean safety can be eliminated to allow reservoirs to fill before opening flood gates.
February 29, 2016
By Lauren Sommer
...Just an average-size winter storm (click here) can send huge volumes of water down the American River into Folsom Reservoir, boosting the lake by 10 percent or more. A major storm can produce dramatically more than that.
“The watershed is pretty flashy and it responds pretty quickly to storm events,” says Lessard. “That’s why we need to reserve a space during those winter months in case that happens.”
Sitting 40 percent empty allows the reservoir to act as a buffer against floods, gulping the runoff without overflowing. In years where the upstream reservoirs are fuller, Folsom Reservoir is required to remain 60 percent empty....
So, here is my take.
Some of the concern of the flood gate purging by the dams is based in fear. The public needs to first scale back that fear. I know the drought caused enormous sacrifice by those in the West because of water scarcity.
There is a reason to want to fill the reservoirs before opening any flood gates. But, this is the way I see it. Currently, there are snow fields that contribute to water supplies in the usa west. Those snowfields are measurable. Getting the picture?
Let's say the SNOW MELT will cause flooding if it occurs in a rapid melt. We have seen that level of tragic snow melt in Colorado. It is nothing short of serious and lives were lost. In Colorado, the water ran down hill from the mountain tops resulting in enormous amounts of debris carried with it creating it's own dams.
One of the reasons dams and reservoirs fill up is to control flooding. The authorities should be looking to any snow melt and it's water capacity to come to the reservoirs. If there is room in the reservoirs for all the snow melt yet to come then there should be closed flood gates.
The authorities need to realize there very well may be strong storms that will also add to the reservoirs. Keeping the reservoirs at a 'topped off' level results in a level of danger. The public needs to ask their authorities to be able to react quickly to any potential flooding that may become dangerous.
There has to be a 'happy medium' between 'drought preparedness' and flooding. If a dam is at it's highest level what happens next is flooding and it could happen quickly BOTH downstream and upstream because of BACK WATER RISING.
Back water is what contributes to the reservoir to fill it. Back water are rivers and tributaries, even the smallest streams. When the reservoir is completely filled it will increase back water levels. There can be flooding in back water natural waters while the reservoirs may remain the same. The authorities that monitor the reservoirs also look at back waters and the communities there. This is a complicated dynamic and the authorities assisted by scientists/hydrologists need to provide for everyone's safety.
The climate crisis has created it's own specialists to understand all the pieces to the puzzle. Among the most dedicated scientists to resolve the climate crisis is Chris Fields. I think he is still a California resident and teaching at Stanford. It would be a good idea to ask for his permanent consultation into the future.
Some of the problems in resolving the climate crisis are funding cuts, many coming from Washington, DC. That funding is important because it saves lives. While citizens of the USA have a difficult time with their personal solvency, the reality of the climate crisis is compromising their personal lives even further. What comes first in government spending? How are college and university costs balanced with the immediate threats? I think Americans can put their best interests first to demand the best advice from people who can supply it.
Get rid of the fear and take the initiative to have at least one solid adviser to help with water supplies to citizens. Besides the amount of water, there is also water quality that has to be maintained. We can have our daily lives delivered back to us if we demand our needs for safe and abundant water is a priority.
